USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College

The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College (USM LAC) will host an open house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 19. Faculty, staff and students will be on hand to provide information on programs, admissions, and financial aid. Guides will be available for tours and to answer questions.

“We are very pleased to announce this open house,” said Dan Philbrick, Director of Communications at USM LAC. “We strongly encourage everyone who has an interest in pursuing their education to attend, be they new or transfer students. Many people do not realize that a complete University education is available locally. We invite everyone to come and see us, explore our various programs and bring along a friend or your family!”

The Lewiston Auburn Campus of USM opened its doors in the fall of 1988 to serve the higher education needs of citizens of the Androscoggin County area. The campus now serves more than 1100 students.

USM LAC offers the following baccalaureate degree programs: arts and humanities, leadership and organizational studies, natural and applied sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. Programs in K-12 teacher education and nursing are also available. In addition, graduate programs are also available in leadership studies and occupational therapy.

We have quite a mix of students on our campus,” added Philbrick. “Many attend part-time, some are undeclared majors, and some take classes with us while they are enrolled at other campuses. Most students find that our convenient class schedule really meets their needs.” Most classes meet once a week and many are available in “blended” format, which meet 50 percent online and 50 percent face-to-face.

The open house will be held Thursday, April 19 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at USM LAC on 51 Westminster Street in Lewiston. The open house will include make your own ice cream sundaes and door prizes. Directions are available online.  For more information, please call the campus at 753-6536 or email at lacinfo@usm.maine.edu.

USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College announces several summer session programs with intensive four- and seven-week programs.  Summer courses are perfect for students who want to stay a step ahead, take teacher re-certification credits, or pursue a passion. The Arts and Humanities program at USM LAC will offer our popular basic photography course and two dynamic new courses – “Writing Children’s Literature”, and “New Media and Social Networking.”

Teaching basic photography is Peter Shellenberger, an instructor at Maine College of Art, co-founder of the Photography Cooperative and a founding member of the Portland Film and Video Artists Collective.  He is noted for his work that draws on the history of science and photography creating images using the uranium oxide qualities of red-orange Fiestaware glaze of the 1930s and 1940s.  The basic photography course is an introduction to black and white photography, including the history and aesthetics of photography, camera and lens functions, exposure methods, basic black and white film processing, printmaking, print finishing, and presentation techniques.

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Barbara Walsh will teach “Writing Children’s Literature: How to Craft Compelling Stories.” This course is an exploration of how real life stories, details, characters, and voices combine with images to create compelling children’s stories. It will include lecture, class discussion and writing workshops and is held in conjunction with the Atrium Art Gallery’s summer exhibition, “Tell Me a Story: A World of Wonders,” children’s book illustrations by Maine artists. Barbara Walsh’s children’s book Sammy in the Sky is illustrated by painter Jamie Wyeth and was inspired by her family’s first dog. Sammy is in its fourth printing since its publication last fall.

Walsh has worked for newspapers and magazines in Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Ireland. She is also the author of August Gale: A Father and Daughter’s Journey into the Storm, a biography and memoir.

Michelle Lisi-D’Alauro will teach “New Media and Social Networking: Identity and Expression Online.” This course examines issues of online culture from privacy to political and social movements and the impact of online communities on language and thought. Lisi-D’Alauro has an MFA degree in creative writing from Columbia University. USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College offers interdisciplinary bachelor and graduate degree programs with both online and on-site classes. The three summer session courses are part of the re-designed Arts and Humanities program that connects liberal arts education with the real world.

Author Barbara Walsh instructor for “Writing Children’s Literature”, one several summer session courses being taught at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College.

A public discussion on “Economic Justice / Economic Opportunity” will be held at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College. The event is co-sponsored by the USM LAC Student Government Association and the USM LAC Committee on Campus Engagement and Diversity Action Group (CEDAG).

A panel of experts from various viewpoints and groups has been invited to discuss matters of economic justice. Confirmed panelists include retired USM Professor Robert Schaible, Doug Bowen of Occupy Wall Street-Maine, Chris Hastedt of Maine Equal Justice Partners, USM graduate Emily Wood, and the Maine Heritage Policy Center. The goal of the event is to promote and encourage a community discussion on economic policies and economic issues concerning students as well as the entire public community, while also promoting diverse viewpoints. Questions addressed will include what are the economic issues that everyone faces today and what everyone, as responsible citizens, can and must do to promote democracy? The sponsors of the event encourage a variety of viewpoints about economic policies, issues, and opportunities. The event is open to the public.

The discussion takes place Thursday, March 15, from 6 pm to 8pm, in room 170 at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College

The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College recently started a new program that enables all USM students to ride the city bus for free. “Ride the Bus On Us” started in March and provides free bus passes to any student enrolled at USM.

Students may get their free pass at the Campus Student Success Center. The passes are good for one month and may be used for all travel on the local city bus, Citylink that serves both Lewiston and Auburn.

“With the latest surge in the price of gas, riding the bus has become a great way of getting to campus and around town!”, says USM LAC Director of Communications Dan Philbrick. “Both the Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee and Western Maine Transportation have been great to work with. We recently collaborated with both groups to establish a bus stop on campus, which has made it both safer and more convenient for our students. Providing bus passes to our students seemed to be a logical next step to encourage the use of public transportation and this campus resource”.

Students must be currently enrolled at USM. More information about the student bus pass program at USM LAC may be found online at www.usm.maine.edu/lac/bus-information.

The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College is pleased to announce that Lynsey Wood has been hired as a Student Success Advisor. Wood graduated from the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston Auburn College in 2005 with a BA in Social & Behavioral Science. She has worked in both human resources and higher education, most recently as the Registrar for Kaplan University’s Maine campuses.  She is scheduled to complete her MS in Higher Education this May.

Wood will be working individually with students to support their learning through academic advising, career facilitation, and learning strategies support.  She will specifically work with students in the Social and Behavioral Studies and Arts and Humanities Programs, helping them to design their path toward earning their bachelor’s degree, as well as helping students transition into jobs and graduate school.

“We are delighted to welcome Lynsey back at USM LAC!”, says Assistant Dean for Student Services Kim Jenkins. “Lynsey has an extraordinary array and depth of experience, and our students love working with her.”
New Student Success Advisor Hired at USM LAC